THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Minister for Forests, Transport, Sports and Cinema, Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, on Thursday said that the government would implement a participatory environment action programme - Harithasree - at panchayat level under the Mission 676 programme.
He told a news conference here that there would a state-level council and monitoring mechanisms at district, panchayat and village- levels.
He said that on the World Environment Day on June 5, 10 lakh tree saplings would be planted in the state in one hour between 10 am and a.m.
‘Harithasree’ portal would be launched for receiving suggestions from the public, the Minister said.
On June 3, the Chief Minister would inaugurate the state-level function of the participatory environment management programme at Kanakakunnu Palace here at 10 am.
UN experts Murali Thummarukudi and John Samuel and KSCSTE vice-president V N Rajasekharan Pillai will attend. He said Forest Department will spend Rs 7.25 crore for improving the facilities in tribal villages.
Rs 15 crore would be spent for construction of check-dams in rivers and streams inside the forests. Thousand students will be trained as ‘eco cadets,’ the Minister said.
‘Prakrithimithra’ awards will be given to environment conservation activists at village level. The forest training school at Arippa will be upgraded as Forest Academy, he said.
The Minister said that Institute for Study of Climate Change would be set up in Kottayam. Rs 50 lakh will be earmarked to prepare the project in this regard, he said.
Transport Department
A system will be implemented to pay tax, temporary registration charge and compounding fee of transport vehicles online within a year. By March 2015, three computerised vehicle testing stations and three computerised driving test tracks will be opened.
Sports
The Minister said that for holding National Games, 15 stadiums will be modernised and nine stadiums will be constructed. A Rs 611-crore budget has been sanctioned for the National Games, he said.